Dharitri Ganguly
Whole wheat flour
The mistake: Keeping it in the pantry at room temperature. Unlike refined all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour contains the grain's germ and bran, which are rich in oils. Exposure to heat, light, and air causes these oils to oxidise and go rancid quickly.
How to fix: Store whole wheat flour in an airtight container in the freezer (lasts up to a year) or the refrigerator.
Potatoes and onions (together)
The mistake: Storing potatoes and onions in the same basket or bin. Onions release ethylene gas, which accelerates ripening. When kept next to potatoes, this gas causes the potatoes to sprout, soften, and spoil prematurely.
How to fix: Keep them in separate, well-ventilated baskets in a cool, dark place.
Nuts and seeds
The mistake: Storing them in clear jars or plastic bags in a warm pantry cupboard. Like whole grains, nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans) and seeds (chia, flax, sesame) are packed with delicate unsaturated fats. Heat and light break down these fats, giving the nuts a bitter, stale taste.
How to fix: Move them to the fridge (lasts 6 months) or freezer (lasts over a year) in sealed glass or plastic containers.
Coffee beans
The mistake: Storing coffee in the freezer or keeping it in its original paper bag opened on the counter. Taking coffee in and out of the freezer causes condensation, which ruins the beans' aromatic oils. Leaving it in porous paper bags exposes it to oxygen and moisture.
How to fix: Keep beans in an airtight, opaque container at room temperature in a dark pantry.
Extra virgin olive oil
The mistake: Keeping the bottle on the countertop right next to the stove or in direct sunlight. Heat from the stove-top and UV light from windows degrade the antioxidants in olive oil, causing it to lose its flavour and go rancid long before its expiration date.
How to fix: Store olive oil in a cool, dark cabinet away from heat sources, preferably in a dark glass bottle or tin.
Garlic
The mistake: Sealing garlic bulbs in plastic bags or putting them in the refrigerator. Cold temperatures trigger garlic to sprout, while trapping it in plastic creates moisture that leads to mould.
How to fix: Store whole garlic heads at room temperature in an open mesh bag, wire basket, or terracotta garlic keeper with ventilation holes.
Spices
The mistake: Displaying spice racks on the wall near the stove or above the oven. Heat, light, and humidity are the ultimate enemies of ground spices and herbs. Storing them near cooking heat strips away their essential oils, rendering them flavourless.
How to fix: Keep spices in a closed drawer or dark cupboard away from the oven. Buy whole spices when possible and grind as needed for maximum freshness.
Pure maple syrup
The mistake: Leaving open bottles of natural maple syrup in the pantry alongside pancake syrup. Commercial pancake syrup (made with corn syrup and preservatives) can sit in a cupboard forever, but pure maple syrup lacks artificial preservatives and will grow mould at room temperature once opened.
How to fix: Once unsealed, always store pure maple syrup in the refrigerator (or freeze it for long-term storage).